RESPONSE TO RETIREMENT IDEA DISAPPOINTS

A program designed to encourage teachers to retire early has met with less enthusiasm than school officials had hoped.

Only five teachers have applied for the program, which offers salary and health insurance incentives for experienced teachers to call it a day. Monday was the application deadline.

Officials had hoped at least eight of the school system's 150 teachers would enroll.

"I guess it's all timing," said School Superintendent John DeGennaro. "Everyone looks at their personal and financial situations."

DeGennaro said the program would save taxpayers money and help teachers in their transition from full-time employment to retirement.

"We hate to lose people with experience, but the program creates openings for other teachers and allows us to go in a different direction with teachers who might have different backgrounds," DeGennaro said last month.

DeGennaro said Monday that because fewer than eight teachers have applied, the board of education has the option of canceling the offer.

"In order to have a real savings, it has to be a reasonable number to process," DeGennaro said.

The board unanimously approved the offer last month.

Eligible teachers must be 45 years old as of July 1 and an active employee with 20 or more years of teaching, 15 of which must be with East Hampton.

The offer was to pay 70 percent of their 1996-97 base salary. The amount would be divided and paid in five annual installments beginning January 1998 or January 1999.

Teachers would also receive up to $2,000 per year in health insurance premiums for five years.